HP 133 Twentieth Century and the Tradition I
Offered in Fall 2005

This is a continuation of the Western Cultural Tradition course into the twentieth century, and it is required of all Honors Program juniors. The course describes what happened to the tradition in the twentieth century, how it got criticized and rethought, and how it absorbed new forms of knowledge and new points of view. The first semester deals with the period up to World War II and focuses on both the excitement engendered by the cultural movement called Modernism and the darker forces that accompanied it.

HP 134 Twentieth Century and the Tradition II
Offered in Spring 2006

The second semester of this course deals with the key cultural issues of the latter half of the century, especially those grouped under the heading of Postmodernity. Here the focus will be on the fundamental critique of the tradition posed by post-structuralist cultural theories, feminism, deconstructionism, the communications revolution, changing views of non-Western cultures, and new perspectives centering on race, ethnicity, and gender. The crucial question to be addressed is whether, and on what terms, it is possible to construct a reliable identity and an adequate basis for moral choice and political action.